When you think of a stereotypical Strong Female Character in a book/movie/television show/play, how is she characterized? She's usually an overt warrior of some sort, tries to subvert the system and break out of her "feminine" boundaries, buddies up with the men, and berates or quietly judges her fellow women for not following in her footsteps.
So what do we do when presented with a Strong Female Character who doesn't quite fit into these standards? As an example I'd like to talk to you about Inara Serra of Firefly and Serenity; at a later date I'd like to discuss a few others as well.
[Beware: spoilers lie below this line!]
Inara really doesn't fit with the stereotype described above. She's not a warrior but a "companion" (in essence, a highly educated courtesan who chooses her clients based on their "proposals"), always exudes elegance, and is civil but not overly friendly with most people. She does harbor a special friendship with Kaylee, but neither tries to coax the other into their lifestyle. So how is Inara a Strong Female Character?
First, she's completely independent. It was all her choice to travel with Serenity and its crew, she makes her own money and supports herself, and she has total control over who receives her companionship. She also sees no reason to be ashamed of herself or her work and routinely defends both against the (mostly joking) attacks of the captain. She is frank about her sexuality without being vulgar and makes it clear that she is the only person with a say in what happens to her body. What's even better is that all of this is with the full support of the companions' guild; all licensed Companions are trained in self-defense, given the freedom to make their own choices, and taken quite seriously by Allied society (however, we can see in "Heart of Gold" that on many outer planets courtesans do not enjoy such respect and high standing).
I honestly admire Joss Whedon and his colleagues for creating such an amazing Strong Female Character. She is strong with the support of the system, which speaks volumes for the otherwise constrictive Alliance; she is confident in her femininity and sexuality without being obnoxious about it; she harbors completely non-sexual friendships; and while she and the captain share a mutual attraction, she does not pursue it (as SFCs often do, to their detriment) because she recognizes that it would be a bad move both for personal and business reasons.
Well done, Inara - and well done, Morena Baccarin, for portraying such an amazing woman with so much conviction!
No comments:
Post a Comment